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Why is my cat opening and closing his mouth, vet found nothing?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 9 months and 20 days old | 10.3 lbs

Hi. My cat came home yesterday and he kept opening and closing his mouth (like when they chatter to a bird) and kept pawing at his mouth. We took him straight to the vets but they couldn't see anything wrong/stuck in his mouth, gums are fine etc. He is still doing it today (minus the pawing at the mouth). He is eating, drinking and using the litter tray as normal. Have you ever come across this before? My vet said she had never seen anything like it and told us to see how it goes. I have a video

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 4th, 2017

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is possible that Oscar was bitten inside the mouth by an insect such as an ant or bee and this has caused oral pain / irritation. As long as he is eating and drinking ok and the behavior resolves, I would not be too concerned about this. I would monitor him for the next 2-3 days and if the problem resolves, I would not worry about it any further. If the problem persists or worsens, I would have the veterinarian recheck the mouth. He may need to be sedated to have a complete oral examination to make sure something is not stuck in his mouth like a small piece of material like wood, glass, metal, etc. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be happy to help you further.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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